GREENSBORO, N.C. — They say it's the best four years of your life, so make it count!
As classes begin for most Triad colleges this week, the staff at WFMY News 2 wants to send well wishes and a bit of advice to students entering or heading back to college. Best of luck on a successful school year to all of you! Keep scrolling to check out our advice and feel free to use it!
WFMY Staff's College Pics!
Don’t miss my TV & VCR set up!
My best college advice: Don’t take all your classes on Tuesdays & Thursdays thinking you’ll have a 4 day weekend every week! All day classes are fine. All day finals and exams are NOT!!!! -- Tanya Rivera, 2 Wants to Know Anchor, University of Florida Class of 1993
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My advice to students would be to remember college is the best time of your life, but it’s also a time to be kind and give back to others.
As much as college is a time to “find” yourself, it’s also about gaining perspective and recognizing your gifts as ways to help those around you. -- Tracey McCain, Good Morning Show anchor
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DO NOT TAKE ALL 8am CLASSES! It’s not like High School. 😊 -- Eric Chilton, meteorologist, UNC
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You are about to have some of the best years of your life! Have so much fun and get involved with organizations on campus whether it be Greek Life or Student Government. But no matter how much fun you have, ALWAYS go to class. You want your professors to see you care. During the first week, I would always introduce myself to all of my professors. That way if you’re having any sorts of trouble with the class and need their help, they already know who you are! Grades are important, but they aren’t everything. Making connections can go a long way in the real world. -- Stacey Spivey, Good Morning Show anchor and reporter, Arkansas State University Class of 2013
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Get involved with clubs and activities as soon as possible, that's where you'll learn your passions and get some amazing friends. -- Allison Lightner, producer, Penn State University Class of 2018
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You don’t need to feel like you have to know exactly what you want to do early on. It’s okay to go in undecided! My major changed Sophomore year and I don’t regret those informative freshman semesters as I explored my different academic passions. -- Manning Franks, photojournalist, High Point University Class of 2018
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Call yo mama! Go to class! The cafeteria food gets better when you have visitors on campus! -- Ziris Savage, producer, NC A&T Class of 2016
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Find a buddy in class who can help you with homework or projects and catch you up if you do ever have to miss class! -- Courtney Kiley, executive producer, Univ. of Missouri Class of 2015
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My advice to college students would be to take advantage of internships when you can! It’s great experience and could help you in the process of finding a job after graduation. Also, call your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters and so on! It means a lot to them! -- Brett Anderson, director, West Virginia University Class of 2017
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My academic advice would be to have a planner, a calendar, or google calendar at your finger tips at all times. Those assignment due dates will sneak up on you if you don’t keep track. Also, if it’s possible, don’t take 8:00am classes. Trust me. It’s not the same as waking up for high school. I also didn’t have classes on Fridays. It’s a good opportunity to give yourself a study day before you enjoy your weekend and forget about your test on Monday.
My social advice would be, keep and open mind. You may think one way, but when you meet someone who challenges what you believe, do run away from it. Try and understand their point of view as they try to understand yours. I left college with completely different beliefs than what I went in with. Also, find a friend or friends who are going to stick with you along the journey. Maybe it will be your roommate. Mine was! We were roommates and best friends freshman and sophomore year and she became my sorority sister during senior year. From friends to sisters, and when the time comes, she’ll be may maid of honor. Cherish your college friends. Because those are the ones who went through the kid to adult transition with you. You can call them anytime and you can bet they probably understand how you’re feeling after the first couple years after graduation. Enjoy college -- period! It’s an amazing four years if you make it out to be. -- Nya Coleman, producer, Kent State University Class of 2018
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Get into a routine of planning, preparing, and studying for upcoming quizzes, exams and other assignments. As soon as I got my syllabus for each class, I would write down each exam date, quiz date, etc. on a huge desk calendar. It helped so much with preparing! Okay, now for the fun advice -- go to athletic events! It's hype! And of course, cherish these years of your life, because it's true what they say - it goes by fast. You'll create friendships that will last a lifetime. -- Megan Allman, digital producer, UNCC Class of 2012
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Get some sleep!!!! It doesn’t do anyone, or their grades, any good not to sleep. Work on developing time management skills to better plan out when you can get work done, and get a regular amount of sleep in. If you fall behind, don’t hesitate to let your professor know you’ve possibly taken on too much, and ask for help. They want you to succeed and not die trying. Plus, they’ll be more willing to sit down and talk with you about options if you’re straightforward both with them and yourself about your workload and mental health. More sleep equals fewer breakdowns!
Prioritize friendship. If you find love, balance that with your friendships. Never let the friendship go over a spat, or disagreement. It’s nearly impossible to go through college without the friends that will make up your support system. There will be days in the future where you miss the friends you once had, memories that both bring you joy and pain if you let go of a friendship for no valid reason, or even times where you’re just miles away from your friends and all you have is a phone call. People grow up, yes, but real friendships grow together despite it all. College is not four years, but for life when it comes to building friendships. -- Tosha Brown, producer, Sweet Briar College Class of 2016
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Take advantage of any and all amenities and facilities your school offers. You’re going to miss having having meal swipes, a free gym, and places to hang out. -- Jasmine Bush, editor, High Point University Class of 2019
